As the storm continues to track to the northeast, it has triggered life-threatening storm surges along with extensive inland flooding.
After coming onshore at 11:00 a.m. EDT, three hours later, the center was over Myrtle Beach, North Carolina, with maximum winds just over hurricane strength, and still at 75 mph. The storm has left hundreds of people dead in the Caribbean and four people dead in Florida.
Matthew has left a path of destruction from Haiti on up through Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, and cut off power to over one million homes and businesses.
The Associated Press said this morning that mercifully, the eye, or center of the storm stayed just off the Eastern Seaboard enough to keep the damage from becoming disastrous. As it was, there has been extensive wind damage to many coastal communities as Matthew slowly made it’s way up the coastline.
At the 2:00 p.m. advisory from the NHC, Hurricane Matthew is still a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds 75 mph (120 kph), continuing to move northeast at 12 mph 19 kph). The minimum central pressure is now 972 mb (28.70 inches).
Serious threats remain
Rainfall of up to 15 inches is possible today near and east of Interstate 95, along with a storm surge of 5 to 7 feet from Charleston to Cape Fear, North Carolina, according to the Weather Channel.
“This has the potential for the worst flooding since Hurricane Floyd,” North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said during a Saturday morning news conference. Folks might remember Category 2 Hurricane Floyd that hit the state hard in 1999.
Even though Matthew hit the states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina quite hard as it moved up the coast and into South Carolina, the storm was responsible for some extensive flooding, downed trees and impassable roads. Part of Highway A1A near Flagler Beach,m Florida was washed away.
From Savannah, Georgia to Myrtle Beach, the low-lying coastal cities and communities were plagued with flooding seawater washing into their homes and businesses, and as of Saturday morning, over 100 roads in South Carolina were impassible. South Carolina Governor Nicki Haley asked residents to stay in their evacuation shelters one more day until the damages could be properly assessed.
The bottom line with all this doom and gloom is that it’s not quite over yet, folks. There still is the very real dangers associated with storm surge and flash-flooding to be wary about. So stay safe and dry.
